Machine for manufacturing sanitary napkins, or the like



c. G. JOA 2,960,143 MACHINE FOR MANUFACTURING SANITARY NAPKINS, OR THE LIKE Nov. 15,

2 Sheets-s 1 Filed Ju 7 8 INVENTORI CORT 90 Arm m M c. G. JOA 2,960,143

, OR THE LIKE.

Nov. 15, 1960 MACHINE FOR MANUFACTURING SANITAR NAPKINS Fi led July '7, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 N V EN TOR.

A TTOENE Y5 Cuer 6. Jo?

United States Curt G. Joa, Box 1121, Boynton Beach, Ocean Ridge, Fla.

Filed July 7, 1958, Ser. No. 747,077

9 Claims. (Cl. 154-29) This invention relates to improvements in a machine for manufacturing sanitary napkins or the like.

Cross reference is made to my United States Patent 2,131,808, granted October 4, 1938.

The machine shown in my prior patent aforesaid satisfactorily manufactures sanitary napkins, or the like, in which a gauze web of relatively high tensile strength is used to wrap the napkin pads. The machine of the present invention is adapted to utilize fabrics for wrapping the napkin pads which are not as strong or as tightly or evenly woven as the gauze heretofore in common use. Regardless of the specific wrapping material, however, the machine of the present invention will produce a neater and tighter fold than heretofore obtainable.

In this connection, the machine of the present invention facilitates splicing or otherwise attaching on the fly the leading end of a fresh roll of gauze or other wrapping fabric to the trailing end of a spent roll thereof while the machine continues to operate and without interrupting the wrapping operation.

In the machine of the present invention, the web of wrapping fabric is driven at many points along its path of travel through the machine. Unlike the device of my prior patent aforesaid in which the wrapping gauze is pulled through the machine from its discharge end, and is not otherwise driven, I provide in the machine of the present invention power operated belts and power operated side fold rollers which propel the web of gauze or other wrapping fabric through the machine entirely independently of any pull from its discharge end. Accordingly, wrapping material of low tensile strength can be used without undue stretching.

In the portion of the machine in which the napkin pads are ensleeved by the wrapping web, a series of power driven rollers are provided to drive forwardly and desirably outwardly the side margins of the web in the course of their being wrapped around the napkin pad. Medial portions of the web aligned with the pads are driven by a power operated belt. Accordingly, both the center and side portions of the wrapping web are driven concurrently to keep the web free of tension which might otherwise stretch it out of shape and at the same time stress the web somewhat laterally to snugly ensleeve the ads. p The rollers aforesaid are desirably surfaced with a yieldable material for impositive driving connection with the web and are desirably driven at a higher peripheral rate than the lineal speed of the web. Accordingly, the marginal strip portions of the web are brushed along.

Other objects, advantages and features of the invention will appear from the following disclosure in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view diagrammatically illustrating the machine of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation of the input end of the machine of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary cross section taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary cross section taken along the line 44 of Fig. 1.

atent Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation, partly in section, of the pad ensleeving section of the device of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the portion of the machine shown in Fig. 5.

A pad wrapping web 10 drawn from parent roll 11 is propelled by a series of laterally spaced power driven belts 12 (preferably three in number in the disclosed embodiment of the invention). Web 10 may be conventional gauze, or may be any other woven or non-woven fabric suitable for use in wrapping cellucotton pads 13 adapted for incorporation as absorbent material in sanitary napkins, or the like.

The web 10 passes beneath a guide roller 14 and onto the top run of the laterally spaced belts 12 whichare trained over idler roller 15 and drive roller 16.

The web 10 is desirably of a width equal to the combined width of the three belts 12 and the spaces therebetween. Pad edge wrapping strips are desirably unwound from their laterally spaced parent rolls 17 and are cut off between the anvil roll 18 and knife roll 19 into pad length strips 20 and laid on top of the web 10 between the laterally spaced belts 12. Edge wrapping strips 20 are held in place by the pressure differential developed across the porous web 10 by the vacuum box or chamber 23 which is disposed between the upper and lower runs of belts 12. The web 10 is open to the vacuum box 23 only between the belts 12 which otherwise block passage of air through the web 10.

The pads 13 are deposited onto the medial portion of the web 10 and in marginal overlapping relationship to the edge wrapping strips 20 by the belt conveyor structure shown generally at 24. Conveyor 24 consists of two endless belts 25. 26 molded about a driving wheel 27 which is timed with relation to the travel of belts 12, so as to discharge the pads 13 in timed relationship to the edge strips Ztl. Beyond the end of roller 16, the medial portion 28 of the web 10 will continue to be propelled through the machine by narrow belt 29 which is trained over longitudinally spaced belt driving roller 3,103. shaft 34 and idler roller 32 on shaft 35.

The marginal strip portions 36, 37 of the web 10 (see Figs. 1, 3 and 4) will be folded over the longitudinally spaced pads 13 disposed on the medial web portion 28 by the side folding plates 38, 39 which are upwardly inclined with respect to the direction of web travel and which converge into overlapping relationship near the end of the folding section of the machine.

To propel the side strip portions 36, 37 of the web 10, I provide series of power driven side folding rollers 42 spaced along each folded plate 38, 39. Rollers 42 desirably have a yieldable surface coating, such as soft wool, pile fabric, or the like, which impositively engages the strips 36, 37. Each roller 42 is mounted on its axle 43 in a sleeve bearing 44. The opposite end of each axle 43 is provided with one or more pulley sheaves 45 in which roller drive belts 46 are engaged. The belts 46 are in motion transmitting connection to power shaft 34 by crossed belts 47 trained about shaft sheave 48.

As best shown in Fig. -6 all belts and rollers are powered from a single power source which drives the chain 61 connected to a suitable sprocket 62 on shaft 34. Chain 63 optionally meshing with idler sprocket 65 transfers power from shaft 34 to shaft 64- on which the roller 16 is mounted.

Accordingly, rollers 42 are rotated to drive the strip portions 36, 37 in the same direction as belt 29 drives the medial portion 28 of the web. The parts are so proportioned that rollers 42 may rotate with a peripheral speed as much as 25 percent greater than the lineal speed of belt 29.

Bearing sleeves 44 and axles 43 are not quite perpendicular to the path of travel of belt 29. Bearing sleeves are desirably so disposed that rollers 42 turn on paths which are at a slight angle (indicated at A in Fig. 6) to the path of web travel and divergent therefrom. The rollers tend to apply a component of force to the strips 36, 37 which opposes the folding action of the plates 38, 39. Accordingly, the web is kept taut in a direction which is transverse to the path on which the web moves.

in the disclosed machine, material of less tensile strength than the gauze heretofore used can be handled without stretching such material or reducing its width. The folds produced by the machine will be tighter than those heretofore possible and should a fold be lost in the side folder, the power driven rollers 42 will tend automatically to pickup and restore the fold.

Moreover, because the web of wrapping material is driven continuously along its length, it is now possible to splice a fresh roll 55 of web material (Fig. 2) to the trailing end of spent roll 11 without stopping the machine. This is because any sudden imposition of longitudinal stress on the web 10 will be absorbed in the belts and power driven side folding rollers aforesaid and will not unduly stretch the web.

As shown in Fig. 2, parent roll 11 is supported on end bearing rollers 49 which are peripherally V-grooved to be guided in the beveled or knife edge 52 of the rails 53 of the parent roll frame 54. When parent roll 11 is nearly exhausted and becomes small in diameter, it can easily be moved to the forward edge of the rail 53 and a fresh parent roll 55 placed at the rear end thereof. Chock 56 will anchor the end roller 57 for parent roll 55 in spaced relation to parent roll 11 and the terminal end portion 58 of parent roll 55 can be spliced on the fly to the trailing end of the web on parent roll 11.

I claim:

1. In a machine for the manufacture of sanitary napkins or the like, the combination of means for conveying a web of napkin pad wrapping material, means for depositing napkin pads on said web and means for ensleeving said web about said pads and including web folding plates which fold marginal strip portions of said web about said pads, and a series of longitudinally spaced power driven means associated with each of said plates for driving said strip portions therealong.

2. The device of claim 1 in which said series of power driven means comprises a plurality of rollers for each plate, and means for turning said rollers in the direction of web travel to drive the said marginal strip portions therealong.

3. The device of claim 2 in which the means last mentioned includes means for turning the rollers at a peripheral speed greater than the lineal speed of the web.

4. The device of claim 2 in which said rollers are mounted on axes about which said rollers turn on paths at an angle to the path of web travel and on which paths the rollers have a component of force tending to oppose the folding action of the plates whereby to keep said web taut in a direction transverse to web travel.

5. The device of claim 2 in which said rollers are provided with a yieldable surface for impositive driving connection with said Web.

6. In a machine for the manufacture of sanitary nap kins, or the like, the combination of a belt for conveying a web of low tensile strength napkin pad wrapping material, means for depositing napkin pads on the medial portion of said web, means for ensleeving said Web about said pads and including web folding plates which fold marginal strip portions of said web about said pads, means for power driving the medial portion of said web in alignment with said pads, and a series of longitudinally spaced power driven means associated with each of said plates for driving the marginal strip portions of said web in the course of folding said strips about said pads.

7. The device of claim 6 in which said power driven means comprise a series of rollers spaced longitudinally along each of said plates, and means for turning said rollers in the direction of web travel.

8. The device of claim 7 in which said means for dr1ving the medial portion of said web comprises a belt and a shaft for said belt, said means for turning said rollers comprising a belt drive from said shaft.

9. The device of claim 7 in which said rollers are provided with mounting means on which the rollers turn on paths angularly related to the path of web travel and on which paths the rollers have a component of force tending to oppose the folding action of the plates, whereby to keep said web taut in a direction transverse to the direction of web travel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,792,664 Taupin Feb. 17, 1931 1,825,492 Wandel Sept. 29, 1931 2,216,212 Potdevin Oct. 1, 1940 2,919,990 Podlesak Jan. 5, 1960 

